Sustainable Global Equity Fund

Annual Member Meeting

The Annual Member Update meeting for Pension Plan members was held on March 1, 2024. View the presentation slides.

The Western Pension Plans change the Responsible Investment option

The Western Pension Plans have acknowledged the evolving consideration of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors since 2007 and have included a dedicated investment option since 2008. In recent years, the available approaches to responsible investment have shifted significantly. Further to the results of a spring 2022 survey of Western plan members, the focus of the dedicated option under the Plan is also shifting. In 2024 the Sustainable Global Equity Fund will replace the Socially Responsible Global Equity Fund.

Sustainable Global Equity Fund - February 1, 2024

As of February 2024, members looking to align the investment of their Western pension plan in a manner that creates a positive impact in areas aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, have a new option. The Sustainable Global Equity Fund marks a significant change in approach for the responsible investment option under the plans. Mirova, the investment manager for the fund, is a conviction-based asset management firm dedicated to sustainable investment and focused on the transformation of the economy towards a sustainable model. Mirova is an affiliate of Natixis Investment Managers and Fiera Capital is Natixis' preferred distributor in Canada. The fund management fee for this fund is 0.82%.

How does the Sustainable Global Equity fund make an impact? See Mirova's Annual Impact Report (2023).  This report is published annually in the spring.

Read the Morningstar Report

Note: This strategy has a track record of more than ten years, however performance history is not available on the Morningstar fund sheet as this is a newly added fund on the Sun Life platform. The fund sheet available from your Sun Life account will be updated quarterly beginning April 2024 with performance details.

You can read more about the performance history of the fund from this Mirova Global Equity Strategy Report.

Socially Responsible Global Equity Fund (closing April 3, 2024)

This fund is being replaced by the Sustainable Global Equity Fund. Members who are currently invested in the fund will receive details from Sun Life in February. This option was added as an investment option for the Western Pension Plans in 2008. It was a global equity fund managed by MFS Investments using their own research and information provided by a third party to screen out investment in companies whose principal business, employment practices, or operations had a negative impact related to ESG factors, while also properly assessing the risks related to ESG factors for the remaining stocks in the portfolio.

Islamic Global Equity Fund (added in June 2023)

The Islamic Global Equity Fund provides an investment option that is in compliance with Islamic investment principles. As a diverse and inclusive employer this is an important option which enables more members to fully participate in the Plan. Prior to this fund option, some members invested in the Socially Responsible Global Equity Fund, as some of the investment exclusions aligned with the prohibited investments under Islamic finance. More detailed information is available on the Islamic Global Equity Fund webpage.

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